Collaboration Produces HSI Camera for Sensing Applications

EuroPhotonicsDec 2014
LEUVEN, Belgium, and MÜNSTER, Germany, June 9, 2014 — A collaboration between microelectronics research institute IMEC and machine vision company Ximea has led to the development of a tiny hyperspectral camera with potential for various sensing applications.

The new camera can be used on airborne drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). It combines hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and spectroscopy to distinguish between objects in the RGB range.

Specifically, the new technology by IMEC uses a chip featuring a hyperspectral sensor and a traditional image sensor. This, coupled with Ximea’s xiQ camera, create a compact, high-speed USB3 device that can be used on a USB connection. It could benefit a variety of functions, from monitoring agricultural crops to detecting cancer, according to Andy Lambrechts, program manager of imaging and vision systems at IMEC.

“This cooperation effectively presents the smallest, lightest, least power consuming and most cost-effective solution in the hyperspectral field today,” said Max Larin, CEO of Ximea.